Day
trips to
nearby islands and party cruises, snorkeling and
scuba diving are
probably the most popular other-than-the-beach activities
around Sihanoukville these days but there are lots of
other local fun and adventure possibilities as well - ocean
fishing, nature walks and river trips in
Ream and
Kirirom National Parks, kayaking, water skiing, jet skies,
multi-day trips exploring the islands, countryside tours to
little fishing villages and secluded beaches, an afternoon
at the waterfall, overnighters to
Bokor Hill Station,
Kep,
Kampot
and more. Listed below are details on just a few of the
possible activities. Ask the listed tour operators for more
destinations and activities. Also see
Kampot and
Kep Points of Interest.

Boats & Water Sports

Island
hopping, fishing, booze cruises...
Island hopping day cruises and evening booze cruises are the most
popular off-beach activities in Sihanoukville. Several kinds of package
boat trips are available, the most popular being the full-day island
cruise - leaving in the morning and taking in three islands for
snorkeling, swimming, fishing, kayaking, seafood lunch and drink,
starting around $15-$25. There are also regular booze cruises, sunset
cruises and night time party cruises, similarly priced. Check with any
tour operator in town for tickets.

Be travel smart, make sure your boat has sufficient safety equipment and
is not overloaded.

For the fishermen...

There are plenty of angling opportunities in the waters around the local
islands. The best fishing is in the dry season (Nov-May) when the
weather is fair. A variety of game species inhabit the local waters
including the prized barracuda.

Boats...

Be smart,
make sure your boat has sufficient safety equipment and is not
overloaded.

Otres Marina

Boat trips, both ocean and river.
Offering unique river boat and kayak trips through mangrove
eco-system and Cambodian countryside. Also offering ocean fishing
trips as well as on the river. Far end of Otres Beach (Otres 2).
Tel: 067-210006
www.otresmarina.com

A
gradually increasing number of places offer water sports equipment
rental - jet skis, kite surfing, hobie-cats, kayaks and more. Several of
the beach restaurants on Otres Beach rent kayaks..

Blue Lagoon

Kite surfing off Otres Beach. Kite rental
and kite surfing school on the beach. 1 hour and multi-day courses. Kite
rental by the hour. At Lim Hour Bungalows on Otres Beach.

Tel: 097-4642273

Otres Sailing Club

Watercraft rentals from Paddle boards &
kayaks to larger catamarans. Charged by the hour starting from $6.00.
Staff provide training beforehand. If you prefer you can pay an extra
$5.00 for a member of staff to accompany you. For those a little more
adventurous boats can be rented for a day or longer should you wish you
sail out to the nearby islands and spend the night.

Large inflatable water park right on Otres
beach. Similar to a floating assault course with various obstacles
including slides, trampoline and rope swings. Should you wish you can
even catapult each other into the ocean with the launch pad. Life
jackets provided if needed.

Prey Nup Mangrove Ecosystem Discovery is running tours to a large mangrove forest preserve at
oceans edge in Prey Nup district north of Sihanouk Ville town, offering
a unique look at a delicate and endangered ecosystem. Excellent bird
watching opportunities. Species sighting include Painted and Milky
Storks, Kingfishers, Kites and Egrets. Guided eco-tours of the forest by
kayak and from an observation station. Day trips and overnight trips can
be arranged. Advanced booking essential.

Tel: +(855)(0)12-812087

Ream
National Park

Ream
National Park, officially called Preah Sihanouk National Park,
the park has become known as “Ream” because it is located in the Ream
commune. The park was established in 1993, inaugurated in March 1995,
and encompasses 21,000 hectares of coastal area including sandy beaches,
mangrove forests, the Prek Tuk Sap estuary, off-shore coral reefs and
two islands (Koh Thmei and Koh Seh). Though rarely seen the Park
provides refuge for such species as macaques, sun bear, dolphins, mouse
deer, pangolin, over a hundred species of birds and there is even
rumored to be a tiger. The Park and tour operator out of Sihanoukville
offer a number of different tours of the park including jungle trekking
and river boat trips along the Prek Tuk River through the jungle and
mangroves to the ocean. The river trip is the most popular tour of the
Park and is also more likely to provide wildlife sightings. Most tours
are less than a half-day. Tours may be arranged through a tour operator
(see page 36) or directly through the Park at the Park Office (located
23 km north of Sihanouk Ville, 500m off Route 4 on Airport Road,
opposite the entrance to the airport). The Park office is open 7 days
per week 7AM to 5PM and there are usually several guides of varying
linguistic skill levels on hand.

There are set programs offered by the Park though itineraries are flexible and can be tailored to individual or group needs. Prices may vary.

Bokor
Hill Station (Phnom Bokor)

Tours
out of Kampot to the old Bokor Hill Station in the nearby Elephant
Mountains have long been popular. A new casino/hotel complex has
gone up over the last couple of years, and the road up the mountain
greatly improved, but the remnants of the old hill station are still
there - a mountaintop collection of crumbling buildings - hotel,
casino, church and royal residence.

The Bokor complex was originally constructed by French authorities
in the early 1920s as a complement to the Kep resort area. In its
day Bokor was an elegant getaway for officials and foreign visitors
- a classic colonial 'hill station' located in the mountains to
allow foreigner visitors accustomed to more temperate climes to
escape the tropical heat. The old building were abandoned to war in
the 1970s, leaving ghostly ruins - vestiges of a different age,
often shrouded in fog and clouds.

One thing that the years have not changed is the absolutely
spectacular view of the coast and the cool (sometimes cold) mountain
air. Bokor is jungled and excursions beyond Bokor, including
trekking, can be arranged by local tour operators.

Full day Bokor tours can be arranged through a local tour operator.
Tours start at about $10/person inclusive for an all-day tour. Some
tour operators offer variations on the usual tour to include such
things as trekking, cycling, motorcycling, a boat cruise. The Park
Office and turn-off to the Hill Station are 37km west of Kampot on
National Route 3. The drive from the base to the top takes 30-45
minutes.See
Kampot page for more.

Sihanoukville Tour Operators: Boats,
Islands, Equipment Rental...

In addition to the tour operators and
dive shops, most of the
hotels and guesthouses in Sihanoukville and
even several of the
restaurants and bars (especially the beach bars)
arrange boat trips and island picnics, trips to the waterfalls, the
national parks and Bokor Hill Station. Bear in mind that different
operators offer different levels of expertise, types of boats, quality
of equipment and service, etc. Shop around for the tour operator that
best fits your requirements.